Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder
by rhymenocerous
Summary: DL Post-Ep Oneshot for 7x22 - Exit Strategy. "I think I just realized how much I'm going to miss you," she whispered. "I mean, I know you'll still be around but it won't be the same, will it?" Rated M just to be safe!


**A/N: So here I am… lagging behind as usual. Sorry for taking so long to get this Post-ep written. I had so many ideas after watching the Season Finale (and yes, I'm calling it a **_**Season**_** Finale because I'm stubbornly refusing to consider the possibility that it could be a finale of another kind… call it blind optimism if you will. Call it plain old denial. I don't really care. I want me more CSI:NY!) but I just couldn't seem to corral them into anything that resembled a story. But today I had a breakthrough… and this is what I've come up with. I offer it to you with my humblest apologies for keeping you waiting, both for this as well as for updates on my other stories. **

**On a personal note, I'd like to say an enormous thank you to all who've offered their friendship and encouragement to me while I struggle through what is an immensely difficult time for myself and my family. Thank you all so much!**

**Note: I debated giving this story a strong T rating... but decided to make it M, just to be on the safe side. Enjoy! :)  
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><p>Lindsay thought she had held it together rather well so far. She hadn't cried yesterday when he'd packed up his desk. She hadn't cried as she'd helped him empty out his locker. She had even managed to hold back her tears when the team gathered for drinks later that night to give him a proper send-off and their friends raised their glasses in a toast, congratulating him on his new role and lamenting at how much he would be missed around the lab.<p>

But now as the early morning light crept into their bedroom and she lay awake waiting for their alarms to go off signaling the start to another work day, Lindsay couldn't hold it in any longer. The tears that had been threatening to fall for days now finally made their presence known, trickling from her eyes and down her cheeks as a heaviness settled in her chest. Despite her efforts to keep her emotions under wraps a strangled sob escaped her lips and she quickly clapped a hand over her mouth to stifle the sound, not wanting to wake Danny who was still blissfully slumbering beside her, his light snores droning softly in her ear.

It wasn't that she wasn't happy for him, because she was. She knew that moving up in the ranks of the NYPD had been something he had yearned after for a long, long time and that it was something he'd all but written off as being unattainable after a few stumbles early on in his career. But he'd spent the past few years keeping his nose clean and his head down, working hard to wipe the slate clean and it had finally paid off for him. He was moving up, on to bigger and better things and therein lay the source of her current woes.

She was touched by the fact that he'd given such serious thought to how his promotion could mean good things for their small family; more money meant a better education for Lucy while increasing their chances of finally being able to afford a place of their own instead of having to pay rent for their inadequately tiny apartment. But for all the good that would come from it, his promotion also meant that sacrifices would have to be made; time spent together would be at a premium as a higher pay grade meant more responsibilities, which ultimately meant more time at work. They saw one another outside of the lab infrequently enough and the thought of having less of him all to herself on a daily basis made Lindsay's heart ache with loneliness.

He had been a constant presence in her life since her very first day on the job and while she knew that she'd see him from time to time as their cases called for it, more often then not their respective workloads would keep them apart for the majority of their working hours. And as selfish as it may be, that was the part she was having the hardest time coming to terms with. When a case was really getting to her or the evidence she was working on simply wasn't producing the desired result, she took comfort in the fact that all she had to do was look up and he was right there, sitting across from her, ready and willing to help bear whatever burden was weighing her down.

She felt movement on the other side of the bed and Lindsay sniffled quietly, quickly wiping the tears from her cheeks with the tips of her fingers as Danny rolled over onto his side. His eyes still closed tightly against the intruding daylight, he smiled and reached out for her, his hand snaking around her waist as he inched toward her, closing the small distance between them and nuzzling his face into her neck.

"Mornin' beautiful," he mumbled sleepily.

"Morning," she replied, hoping that he wouldn't hear the underlying emotion in her voice. But he knew her better than she gave him credit for and he pulled back so he could see her face, his blue eyes flashing with alarm as he took in her splotchy complexion, tear-tracked cheeks and red, puffy eyes.

"Baby what's wrong?" he asked, suddenly alert.

"Nothing," she assured him with a wan smile. "It's nothing. I'm fine."

Pushing himself up on one arm and resting his head on the palm of his hand, Danny fixed her with a pointed stare. "Honey, you're crying," he pointed out matter-of-factly, gently touching his fingers to her tear-stained cheeks. "Tell me what's the matter."

Powerless against his tender touch and the genuine concern she could see reflected in his eyes, Lindsay's face crumbled and she buried her face in his chest, letting the sobs she had been trying so hard to hold back overtake her. In an instant Danny had his arms wrapped around her in a protective shield while he stroked her hair and whispered comforting words in her ear until all her tears were spent and she was left sniffling and hiccupping in the wake of her emotional outburst.

"Shh… it's okay, sweetheart," Danny murmured as his hands caressed her back, drawing smooth, slow circles along her spine. "Whatever's upsetting you… we'll deal with it together, okay?"

Lindsay nodded and closed her eyes, taking a series of deep and cleansing – albeit shaky – breaths as she tried to collect herself. She snuffled and dabbed at her eyes with the fabric of Danny's t-shirt before she pulled back and looked up at her husband. He smiled at her and tenderly stroked her cheek.

"You okay?"

"Yeah," Lindsay assured him with a small, shy smile. "I'm fine."

"Anything you wanna talk about?" he asked.

"I… no. It's stupid," Lindsay mumbled.

"Babe, whatever it is that's got you so upset… I'm sure it's not stupid." He pressed a kiss to the tip of her nose. "Come on. What's with the waterworks?"

Lindsay sighed resignedly, lowering her face to nestle her cheek against his chest, her fingers toying with the folds of his shirt. To his credit, Danny didn't rush her. He didn't demand answers or cajole her into speaking before she was ready. He simply waited while she took a moment to arrange her thoughts. "I think I just realized how much I'm going to miss you," she whispered. "I mean, I know you'll still be around but it won't be the same, will it?"

"No. It won't," Danny agreed. "But babe… we talked about this. I thought we agreed that the pros outweighed the cons and that while it means that we have to make some sacrifices… I mean, I thought you were okay with all of this."

"I was. I am," Lindsay said. "But talking about it is one thing, Danny. Waking up and realizing that for the first time in over six years I'm going to go to work and you won't be there… that's something entirely different." She sniffed and raised her head to look at him, offering him a watery smile. "I think it just suddenly hit me and it was all a little overwhelming for minute there. I really am okay with it. I promise I am."

"Yeah? Because it's not too late – nothing is official until I go in today and sign the paperwork. Until then I still have the option of staying in the lab… if that's what we want."

"I can't ask you to do that," Lindsay said. "You want this so badly – and I want it too, Danny. I really do. It's just…" She hesitated for a moment, taking a deep breath before letting it out slowly. "I've never done this job without you; not here in New York anyway. What if you go and everyone suddenly realizes that I can't do it without you?"

"Oh my God… Lindsay, will you listen to yourself?" Danny asked, wrapping his arms around her shoulders and pulling her tightly against him. He pressed a loving kiss to her forehead. "You don't need me around to do your job, Linds. You're amazing in your own right, honey. How many times has it come down to something you did, some little detail that you noticed, that's solved a case that had the rest of us baffled?" Sliding his forefinger under her chin he lifted her face so she was looking right at him. "Baby, please don't sell yourself short on my account. You don't need me around to be great at what you do." He stroked her face and touched the tip of his finger to her nose. "Besides, let's face it; you just like having me around 'cause I'm eye candy."

That earned him a smile. "Eye candy, huh?" Lindsay giggled. "More like an eyesore."

"Oh, ouch!" Danny groaned, clutching at his chest in mock heartache. "That hurts, Linds. That hurts me deep. I go and say all kinds of nice things about you – things that are all true, by the way – and you call me an eyesore? Thanks a lot. You know, maybe I'll just forget all this sergeant crap and go turn tricks on the corner instead. At least then someone might tell me that I'm pretty."

Lindsay buried her face in his chest, her shoulders shuddering with laughter. "I love you so much," she said, raising her head and smiling up at him.

"I love you too, sweetheart," Danny replied.

"Can I ask you something, Dan?" Lindsay asked after they'd lain in contented silence for a few moments.

"I think you just did," Danny teased. Lindsay swatted his chest, glaring at him with narrowed eyes. "Sorry, honey. Ask away."

"Are you… are you scared?"

Danny nodded his head thoughtfully. "Terrified, actually," he admitted, his arms tightening almost involuntarily around her body. "I'm leaving the safety net of a job I've been doing for over 10 years, Linds. I know the lab. I know the people there. I know the team, how everyone works, how things are done. And now I'm putting all that behind me and going where everything is going to be new and unfamiliar. It's a little intimidating and I'm just hoping that I haven't bitten off more than I can chew."

"You're going to be just fine, Danny. I know you are." She raised her hand and ran her fingertips along his stubbled jaw. "I felt exactly the same way when I came here from Bozeman… but somehow I managed to muddle my way through those first few days – no thanks to you, I might add," she teased, pressing a kiss to Danny's chin.

He flashed her a devilish grin before capturing her lips in a fervent kiss while his fingers slowly crept under the hem of her tank top. He rolled her over so that she was lying on her back and she smiled up at him while his hand sought out her breast, gently rolling her nipple between his thumb and forefinger.

"Admit it… I was extremely helpful that first day."

"You were a prick and you know it," Lindsay accused, biting her lip and letting out a hiss of pleasure when he flicked her nipple with his thumb. "Such a jackass," she sighed.

"Just doing my duty as the welcoming committee," Danny chuckled wickedly, lowering his head to nibble at the soft skin at the crook of her neck.

"Oh yeah?" Lindsay scoffed, tilting her head to expose more of her neck for him to devour. "Well I hope you have someone at your new job that will give you as good as you gave me on my first day."

Danny pulled back and arched his eyebrows at her. "Are you saying you're hoping that I meet some devilishly handsome, blue-eyed detective, and that he sweeps me off my feet?" he asked with an impish grin on his face. "Cause I gotta say… that's seems like an odd request coming from you."

"Ass. You know that's not what I meant," Lindsay giggled. "Besides… I don't think you're really Flack's type."

"Oh God. Not funny, Montana," Danny groaned, scrunching up his nose in disgust as Lindsay dissolved into laughter. "That's disgusting. Not funny at all. Why would you even say that?" he asked, aghast at her inference. "Ugh. Just… just ugh. I am so turned off right now. Way to go."

"Really? Because it doesn't feel like you're all that turned off to me, baby," Lindsay said, nudging his bulging manhood with her hip. "Actually, it feels like you're still good to go."

"No thanks to you," Danny mumbled, resuming his oral exploration of her neck.

Lindsay's breath caught in her throat as Danny's hand slipped beneath the waistband of her pyjama bottoms and he raked his fingers through her curls before he eased one finger inside of her. "Mmm... Feels like I'm not the only one that's good to go," he growled in her ear, causing a delicious shiver to ripple through her body.

She gripped fistfuls of his shirt in her hands and rocked her hips to meet his gently probing hand. "Danny, make love to me," she pleaded. "Please… before you go… I need you."

Requiring no further encouragement, Danny helped Lindsay peel off her pyjamas before adding his own clothes to the pile on the floor beside their bed. She clung to him and cried out as he passionately ravished her, both of them pouring out their love for one another with each movement of their intertwined bodies. Lindsay soon found herself teetering precariously on the edge, the tight coil inside of her ready to snap. As Danny continued to delve deeply into her core she felt herself let go and she trembled beneath him, calling out his name and arching against him in ecstasy until he too succumbed to his release.

"Mmm… baby, that was amazing," Lindsay sighed moments later as she snuggled into Danny's side, her flesh still tingling from the exquisite high of her orgasm. Danny smiled and pressed a kiss to her forehead while his fingers drew lazy circles on her back. "You know, I've never slept with a sergeant before… I'm not sure what's protocol here; am I supposed to salute you now?"

Danny let out a snort of laughter and turned to grin at her. "I'm not technically a sergeant yet, babe. But I guess you can if you want to," he conceded. "You know… if you feel my performance warranted it."

"Well, in that case…" Lindsay gave him an emphatic salute, garnering a bashful smile from her husband. They lay in contented silence in one another's arms until all too soon their quiet moment came to an abrupt end as their alarms sounded and they were forced to climb somewhat unwillingly out of bed to begin their morning routine. Lindsay quickly showered and dressed while Danny got Lucy up and ready for preschool. Then they tag-teamed, Lindsay getting breakfast on the table while Danny got himself ready for work. Once breakfast was eaten and cleared away, they spent a few minutes together with Lucy before Danny glanced at his watch and let out a soft sigh. He turned to his wife, a nervous smile playing at the corners of his lips.

"Well… I guess this is it," he said.

Lindsay reached out and framed his face in her hands. "You're going to be fine, Danny," she said encouragingly. "I am so proud of you, honey." She leaned in and pecked him lightly on the lips. "I'll see you tonight, okay? Good luck."

"Thanks," he replied. He bent and kissed the top of Lucy's head then retreated to the bedroom for his badge and cell phone. She watched him check his pockets for his keys and grab his gun from the safe in the hall closet. Satisfied that he had everything he needed, he headed for the door, pausing with his hand on the doorknob.

He suddenly turned and crossed the room, pulling Lindsay into a tight embrace and kissing her ardently, leaving her completely breathless.

"I'm gonna miss you like crazy, you know that right?" he whispered almost desperately in her ear.

Unable to trust her voice, Lindsay silently nodded her head and Danny kissed her again. And although it was far more tender and almost chaste in comparison, to Lindsay it was no less heartfelt or meaningful.

"I love you so much, Lindsay," he said, gently brushing a stray lock of hair from her forehead. "Good luck today, sweetheart."

And then he was gone, off to save the world; her Sergeant Messer.

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><p><strong>To be continued…? Let's hope so. Cross your fingers that we'll have another season of our favourite couple to look forward to in the fall!<strong>

**I know I have only recently begun to write these Post-ep stories, but I have to admit they're a bit addicting! My goal over the summer (once I'm settled in my new place and life has returned to normal… or as close to normal as possible) is to go back through this season and do a one-shot for each episode, along with getting back to updating High School Daze and Something Wicked on a more regular basis.**

**Thanks for reading!**

***rhymes***


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